Whilst most of us are aware that there are lots of ways we can look after our children’s
physical health, we may not be quite as aware that we can do a great deal to help
them flourish mentally as well.

As adults, we may take our mental health for granted and forget that we can choose
to look after our inner wellbeing as well as our physical bodies. Sometimes, its
not until things start to go wrong that we consider mental health at all.

One way of thinking about mental health is to describe what it looks like. A child
with good mental health will be able to make and keep friends as well as being able
to get on with adults. He or she will be following the natural process of psychological
development that takes place alongside physical development and will be able to take
part in activities that are appropriate for their developmental stage.

A moral sense of right and wrong will be developing. A child with good mental health
will have the capacity to cope with a degree of psychological stress. The child
with good mental health will have a sense of being a valued and worthwhile individual.